Roof Strength Evaluations

Rollover evaluations

Small cars

To measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle's roof at a constant speed. The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5 inches of crush is compared to the vehicle's weight to find the strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural protection in rollover crashes.

Each model is rated based on our measured curb weight of a vehicle with typical engine, transmission, and equipment options. However, when the same model is available in a configuration over 10% heavier than the typically equipped vehicle, a separate rating is assigned.

Good   Acceptable   Marginal   Poor   |   Vehicles are listed in order of performance

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Model	Overall rating	Curb weight (lb)	Peak force (lb)	Strength-to-weight ratio
Nissan Cube 2009-11 models		2,833	20,569	7.26
Scion xB 2008-11 models		3,078	21,041	6.84
Scion tC 2011 models		3,123	17,738	5.68
Mazda 3 sedan 2011 models mfg. after Dec. 2010		2,922	15,541	5.32
Volkswagen Golf 2010-11 models Volkswagen Rabbit 2006-09 models Volkswagen GTI 2010-11 models		3,042	15,970	5.25
Toyota Corolla 2009-11 models		2,749	14,006	5.09
Mazda 3 hatchback 2011 models mfg. after Dec. 2010		3,023	15,380	5.09
Chevrolet Cruze 2011 models		3,143	15,944	5.07
Mini Cooper Countryman 2011 models		2,984	14,829	4.97
Subaru Impreza wagon 2008-11 models		3,132	14,485	4.62
Kia Forte 2010-11 models mfg. after Oct. 2009		2,859	13,084	4.58
Subaru Impreza sedan 2008-11 models		3,125	14,069	4.50
Honda Civic 4-door 2006-11 models		2,760	12,532	4.48
Kia Soul 2010-11 models		2,886	12,489	4.33
Mitsubishi Lancer 2008-11 models		2,984	12,863	4.31
Rating does not apply to 4-wheel drive models. Rating of these models is Acceptable.
Honda Insight 2010-11 models		2,700	8,970	3.32